Performing operations on objects in a database system in a response to a request that specifies references that indicate where the objects reside

Abstract

A mechanism is described for processing requests to specify operations to database objects. A request to perform an action on a set of multiple objects is received by a database system. The request includes references to each object in the set, each reference indicating a table where the respective object resides. The reference is used to locate the object, and once located, the action is performed on the object. The reference may indicate a table using a unique table id not used in any of a plurality of databases to identify a table. The action request may be to modify the object, the references may include references to objects that reside in different database systems.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. In a computer system, a method for performing operations on a plurality objects that reside in one or more databases, the method comprising the steps of: 
       receiving a single request that specifies a structure and an operation on said plurality of objects, said structure including a reference for each object of said plurality of objects, wherein said reference for each object indicates a table to which said each object belongs; and  
       in response to said single request, performing the following steps for each object of said plurality of objects:  
       reading the reference for the object from the structure,  
       using the reference to locate the object, and  
       performing the operation on the object.  
     
     
       2. The method of claim  1 , wherein said structure includes a first reference to a first object belonging to a first table, said first reference including a table id that uniquely identifies said first table relative to all tables in a plurality of databases, wherein said table id is not assigned to any other table in said plurality of databases. 
     
     
       3. The method of claim  2 , wherein: 
       said first table resides in a first database; and  
       said structure includes a second reference to a second object belonging to a second table residing in a second database.  
     
     
       4. The method of claim  1 , wherein the step of performing said action on each object includes modifying at least one object from said plurality of objects. 
     
     
       5. The method of claim  1 , wherein said structure is an array. 
     
     
       6. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions for performing operations on a plurality of objects that reside in one or more databases, wherein the execution of the one or more sequences of the one or more instructions causes the one or more processors to perform the steps of: 
       receiving a single request that specifies a structure and an operation on said plurality of objects, said structure including a reference for each object of said plurality of objects, wherein said reference for each object indicates a table to which said each object belongs; and  
       in response to said single request, performing the following steps for each object of said plurality of objects:  
       reading the reference for the object from the structure,  
       using the reference to locate the object, and  
       performing the operation on the object.  
     
     
       7. The computer-readable medium of claim  6 , wherein said structure includes a first reference to a first object belonging to a first table, said first reference including a table id that uniquely identifies said first table relative to all tables in a plurality of databases, wherein said table id is not assigned to any other table in said plurality of databases. 
     
     
       8. The computer-readable medium of claim  7 , wherein: 
       said first table resides in a first database; and  
       said structure includes a second reference to a second object belonging to a second table residing in a second database.  
     
     
       9. The computer-readable medium of claim  5 , wherein the step of performing said operation on each object includes modifying at least one object from said plurality of objects. 
     
     
       10. The computer-readable media of claim  6 , wherein said structure is an array. 
     
     
       11. A set of one or more database systems, comprising: 
       a plurality of objects that reside in said one or more database systems;  
       said one or more database systems configured to receive a single request that specifies a structure and an operation on said plurality of objects, said structure including a reference for each object of said plurality of objects, wherein said reference for each object indicates a table to which said each object belongs; and  
       said one or more database systems configured to respond to said single request by performing the following steps for each object of said plurality of objects:  
       reading the reference for the object from the structure  
       using the reference to locate the object, and  
       performing the operation on the object.  
     
     
       12. The one or more database systems of claim  11 , wherein said structure includes a first reference to a first object belonging to a first table, said first reference including a table id that uniquely identifies said first table relative to all tables in a plurality of databases, wherein said table id is not assigned to any other table in said plurality of databases. 
     
     
       13. The one or more database systems of claim  12 , wherein: 
       said first table resides in a first database; and  
       wherein said structure includes a second reference to a second object belonging to a second table residing in a second database.  
     
     
       14. The one or more database systems of claim  11 , wherein said one or more database systems are configured to perform said operation on each object by performing operations that include modifying at least one object from said plurality of objects. 
     
     
       15. The computer system of claim  11 , wherein said structure is an array.